This invention relates to stacking chairs, and in particular to stacking chairs having flexing frames to enhance comfort for the user.
Stackable chairs are well known in the art. Such chairs are used to provide temporary seating for large numbers of persons, such as for meetings, conferences and the like. It is desirable that stacking chairs be relatively lightweight and easy to store. It is further desirable that such chairs provide optimum comfort for the user. It can be difficult to provide for comfort in a stackable chair, because such chairs are typically constructed of rigid materials fastened together in fixed relation, such that the chair affords the user little or no range of motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 70,756 discloses a chair having bracing springs between the stool and the seat, which keep the seat in a level position yet by their elasticity allow it to tip back and forward to provide a rocking motion, in which chair the portion that supports the stool is not flexible.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,675,059 discloses a rockable reclining chair having a rectangular back frame and a rectangular seat frame in crossed relation, in which rocking is provided by rotation of rigid members about two pivot points.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,679,282 discloses an infant's chair having side frame members in the form of a FIG. 8.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,960, discloses a foldable rocking chair having a seat frame and a back frame that cross each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,433 discloses a stacking chair in which the seat flips up to allow a person to pass within a row of such chairs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,444 discloses a flexible stacking chair wherein the frame comprises side members in a “Z” configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,604 discloses a support structure for chairs having pivoting members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,795 discloses a flexible stacking chair comprising two side compression support members and center diagonal tension members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,422 discloses a reclining and swingable chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,626 discloses a chair with a seat and chair back tiltably carried on a base. In one embodiment, the chair base comprises two triangular shaped side members.
U.S. Pub. No. US 2003/0090139 discloses a chair having a frame and support board that allows the chair back to be tilted backward in response to pressure.
It is thus one object of the invention to provide a chair that is stackable yet allows some range of flexibility to be more comfortable for a user.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a flexible stacking chair that is of relatively lightweight construction.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a flexible stacking chair that is relatively simple to manufacture.